Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs- Student Life

University of Houston; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Houston is seeking a Director of Student Life to provide strategic direction and oversight for the Student Center and related units, fostering an environment that supports student success and engagement. The role leads planning, assessment, budgeting, risk management, and collaboration with campus partners to enhance student learning, retention, and post-graduation outcomes.

Qualifications include a Master’s degree (Doctorate preferred) and 7+ years of leadership in higher

Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in an analytical, technical, or professional discipline; Doctorate preferred.
• Experience: minimum of seven (7) years of leadership experience in higher education or student affairs, including staff supervision, strategic planning, and budget administration.
• Certification/licensing: None

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and administrative oversight of campus-wide student life programs and facilities.
• Leads strategic planning, assessment, and data-informed decision making across units.
• Develops and implements student engagement strategies to enhance belonging, retention, and career readiness.
• Promotes a campus environment that supports student growth, leadership, and community involvement.
• Manages risk, emergency preparedness, policy compliance, and crisis response for student life operations.
• Builds collaborations with academic affairs, administration, and campus partners to advance student life initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Budget management

Assessment

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Master's degree

Doctorate degree preferred

Job description

Department: Student Center Salary: Commensurate with Experience/Education

Description

Provides strategic direction, leadership, and coordination for student programs, services and facilities and contributes to the university goal of creating an environment that fosters student success. Areas of oversight include Student Center, Center for Student Involvement, Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life, A. D. Bruce Religion Center, Center for Student Media, Center for Student Advocacy & Community, and University Career Services.

1. Provides leadership, strategic vision, organization and administrative oversight of campus-wide programs, services, and operations designed to facilitate and support the personal, academic, and co-curricular development of a highly diverse student population in the areas of student life through the effective management and supervision of the following units: Student Center, Center for Student Involvement, Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life, A. D. Bruce Religion Center, Center for Student Media, Center for Student Advocacy & Community, and University Career Services.
2. Facilitates and oversees strategic planning, assessment, and data-informed decision making for all units within the student life portfolio, utilizes quantitative and qualitative metrics to evaluate student learning, program effectiveness, student engagement, and divisional impact on student success.
3. Leads the development and implementation of student engagement strategies that contribute to student success, retention, persistence, sense of belonging, career readiness, and post-graduation outcomes.
4. Promotes a campus environment that fosters student engagement, community building, belonging, leadership development, civic responsibility, and holistic student growth.
5. Provides executive leadership regarding risk management, emergency preparedness, behavioral intervention, crisis response, and policy compliance affecting student life operation and programs.
6. Champions innovation and organizational effectiveness by identifying emerging trends, technologies, and best practices that enhance student engagement, operation efficiency, student communications, and service delivery.
7. Establishes collaborative relationships and partnerships with academic affairs, administration and finance, university departments, student organizations, community members, and other stakeholders regarding student life initiatives for students, faculty, and staff.
8. Demonstrates a keen understanding of business operations and organizational systems, processes, departments, and functions that enhance desired outcomes. Coordinates and collaborates with the unit directors and the Business Services Division Administrator to develop budgets, monitor expenditures, and ensure effective stewardship of finances and resources.
9. Provides management support to unit directors and other staff regarding facilities management and facilities construction.
10. Recruits, develops, mentors, and evaluates directors and professional staff while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
11. Serves as an ex-officio member of the University Center Policy Board, A.D. Bruce Religion Center Policy Board and the Student Publications Committee. Serves as the advisor to the Student Government Association, Executive Branch. Serves as a member of other university committees as assigned.
12. Performs other job-related duties as required.

MQ: Education: Requires a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of an analytical, technical or professional discipline; or the basic knowledge of more than one professional discipline. Knowledge of the discipline is generally obtained through a formal, directly job-related Masters degree from an accredited university or college, or an equivalent in-depth specialized training program that is directly related to the type of work being performed. Preferred: Doctorate degree from accredited university or college. Experience: Requires a minimum of seven (7) years of directly job-related experience. Preferred: Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education or student affairs, including supervision of professional staff, strategic planning, budget administration, assessment, and management of complex student-facing operations. Certification/licensing: None

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check.

The University of Houston System and its universities are Equal Opportunity Institutions. Everyone is encouraged to apply.